Georgia CommonsHouse · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HR 986: National Newspaper Publishers Association; commend
Last action April 4, 2025 · House Read and Adopted
A Georgia House resolution commends the National Newspaper Publishers Association, the trade group for Black-owned newspapers, and marks its 2025 national convention being held in Savannah.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives honors the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), an organization founded in 1940 to support Black-owned newspapers across the country. The text recounts the history of the Black Press in America, starting with Freedom's Journal in 1827, and notes that the NNPA now includes more than 200 member publishers reaching over 27 million readers weekly. The resolution specifically recognizes The Savannah Tribune for celebrating 150 years as a Savannah institution, and salutes the NNPA for holding its 2025 National Convention in Savannah. It directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to the NNPA. As a resolution, it does not change any Georgia law; it is a formal statement of recognition by the House.
What the bill does
- Formally recognizes and commends the National Newspaper Publishers Association and its more than 200 member publishers.
- Specifically honors The Savannah Tribune for its 150th anniversary as a Savannah newspaper.
- Salutes the NNPA for holding its 2025 National Convention in Savannah, Georgia.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to the NNPA.
Who it affects
The National Newspaper Publishers Association and its member publishers, including The Savannah Tribune, are the direct subjects of this recognition. The Clerk of the House of Representatives is tasked with distributing a copy of the resolution.
Why it matters
The resolution carries no legal or financial effect and changes no Georgia law. Its practical impact is symbolic: it gives the NNPA and The Savannah Tribune formal recognition from the state legislature, which may be used for publicity or historical record during the group's 2025 convention in Savannah.
Key provisions
- The resolving clause recognizes and commends the NNPA and its more than 200 member publishers, naming The Savannah Tribune's 150th anniversary.
- A further resolution clause salutes the NNPA for holding its 2025 National Convention in Savannah, Georgia.
- A final clause directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute a copy of the resolution to the NNPA.
From the bill
“the Black Press is deemed the trusted voice for news and information serving more than 27 million readers each week”
“we extend gratitude to the National Newspaper Publishers Association for serving as the trusted news source for African Americans for 198 years”
Status timeline
- House Read and Adopted (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Edna Jackson (D, HD-165)
- Anne Allen Westbrook (D, HD-163)
- Ron Stephens (R, HD-164)
- Carl Gilliard (D, HD-162)
- Bill Hitchens (R, HD-161)
Topics
- Black press history
- Savannah
- journalism recognition
- legislative resolution
- National Newspaper Publishers Association